The popular summer tourist destination of the Algarve in Portugal is facing one of the most severe droughts in many years.
This is actually the case across most of Europe as European Union nations have had to deal with wildfires and even scale back tourism due to the lack of available water.
Recently officials with Portugal Tourism and Algarve Tourism kicked off a campaign educating travelers to the region about the extreme drought conditions and the simple proactive steps they can take to make a difference while enjoying a vacation getaway in the area.
Call to Conserve
The Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Pedro Machado; Tourism of Portugal Board of Directors Member Lídia Monteiro; the Algarve Region Tourism President, André Gomes; and the Airports of Portugal Chief Operational Officer Chloé Lapeyre all came together recently in Faro to kick off the tourist awareness initiative.
The initiative seeks to educate travelers who arrive at the main Algarve region airport in Faro about the drought in the area and the need to conserve water, even among travelers.
The initiative connects with the current trend in vacation travel towards sustainability and reducing the concerns about overtourism across Europe.
Informing Faro Airport Travelers
Research shows that even with minimal effort while on a vacation in the Algarve, tourists can make an important impact on the conservation and sustainability initiatives needed due to the severe drought.
With just awareness of the situation, most officials believe that tourists can reduce their water use up to 40 liters, or more than ten gallons, per day. On an average six-day Algarve vacation, that could amount to about 235 liters.
To drive that home with travelers, local and national tourism officials took to the Faro airport to educate tourists.
There are now advertisements posted around the airport to inform Algarve visitors about the need to conserve water and the important role they could play in the process.
Suitcases Full of Water
Recent passengers from Dublin, waiting for their suitcases on the baggage carousel, were caught by surprise by six strange suitcases mixed along with their luggage from the airplane.
There were six clear suitcases filled with seawater, each with a notification about the drought and need to conserve while visiting the Algarve on vacation.
The point of the six suitcases was that each one was filled with 40 liters of water and represented the initiative to save 235 liters of water while enjoying their time in the sun and sand of the Algarve.
According to a news report, some tourists were surprised by the initiative, stating that they were unaware that the Algarve was facing a water crisis.
Others took the opportunity to commit to conserving water after seeing the seawater filled suitcases along with their luggage on the conveyor belt.
What Visitors Need to Know
It’s still early in the initiative, but so far more than 110 of the 600 tourist businesses in the Algarve have committed to the “save water” initiative.
The good news is that the effort among travelers seems to be making an important sustainable travel impact in the Algarve. Officials report that even early into the program, there has been a more than 12 percent reduction in the use of water.
So, what easy steps can Algarve travelers take to help save water? Pass on requesting water in restaurants. Turn off the tap when brushing teeth. Cut back the amount of time in the shower by half or even turn off the water when lathering up.
Small things can make a big difference and contribute to sustainable travel in the Algarve at the same time.